The Hunt - Megan Shepherd Page 0,54

not.”

He reached out as if to set his hand over hers, and for a second her cheeks flamed again, desires she could barely admit suddenly coming true. But he only took the die from her to keep her from tapping it so neurotically.

“You are anxious,” he said softly.

“I just . . .” She looked away. “You’re right. I do want to skip ahead for a reason that has nothing to do with the Gauntlet.” She took a deep breath. She’d known for a few years that both her parents were having affairs long before the divorce, but her mother was far better at lying about it. Right before her mother told her father a lie, she would tilt her head down and let her hair fall in her eyes, and Cora did the same thing now. “I feel at such a disadvantage. You know every last thing about me. You watched me on Earth. You know about my time in Bay Pines, and you know about personal memories, like my dog, and my parents’ divorce. There’s an imbalance between us that I can’t get past. You can look into my head anytime you’re cloaked, but to me, yours is always closed off.”

His hand rested so close to hers. An inch, and they would be touching. “This is what your agitation is about? You wish to see into my mind?” There was a trace of curiosity in his voice.

For the briefest moment, she hated herself for the lie.

“Of course.” She scooted to the bench next to his, so that their bodies were only inches apart. “The Gauntlet isn’t just about gaining new abilities. It’s about proving we are truly equal. And how can we be equal when I’m the one trapped here, and you can leave at any time?”

The storm clouds in his eyes were moving, slowly, across his dark irises. “I cannot change that,” he said. “Until we prove humanity’s intelligence, you and all humans will always be caged.”

“I know,” she said softly. “But this one thing—this you can change.”

His fingers returned to turning the die: 2, then 4. Faster and faster, though his face remained impassive.

“I want to know you,” she whispered, “the same way you know me.”

The die in his hand abruptly stopped.

Cora’s heartbeat sped, even though she didn’t want it to. It was undeniable, this thing between them. Always there, pulsing just under the surface. His hand was so close. So achingly close.

“Cora.” In the privacy of the alcove, he could kiss her and no one would know. He wanted to. Badly. She didn’t need to be psychic to know that.

A knock came on the wooden screen.

Cora jerked upright, heart racing. Through the screen, she could just make out the familiar slope of Dane’s shoulders.

Cassian straightened immediately. “Enter.”

Dane slid open the screen. If he found anything odd about the two of them sitting so close, dice and cards untouched on the table, he didn’t even blink.

“We’re closing shortly,” Dane said. “Perhaps you can continue your card game tomorrow. And, Cora, I wondered if you’d mind sticking around a bit longer. The zebra was sick, and I could use an extra set of hands cleaning up. I’ll have you back to the cell block before Free Time ends.”

He gave a bland smile.

“Um . . . sure.” Cora hurried to pick up all the cards and shuffle them into a stack. “Whatever you need. Cassian, just let me know when you want to . . . play cards . . . again.”

She felt her cheeks blazing. She was in such a rush to get away that she didn’t stop to think about how odd it was for Dane to ask her a favor, until he led her to the Hunt’s supply closet behind the bar. To her surprise, Lucky was standing among the boxes of booze. His face looked grim.

“What’s going on?” she asked, blinking hard.

“Dane and I had a chat,” Lucky said quietly. “Come inside, and shut the door behind you.”

23

Cora

CORA STEPPED INTO THE supply closet, squeezing between dusty boxes of booze, and inched the door closed. “Tell me.”

Lucky nearly bumped into an old giraffe carving. “Dane can help us change my birthday.”

Cora turned to Dane. “Let me guess—you want something in return.”

Dane gave his thin smile. “Lucky and I have already settled upon my compensation. It’s more about what Roshian wants.”

Cora nearly knocked over the giraffe statue in surprise. “What does Roshian have to do with anything?”

“He controls timekeeping for the Kindred,” Lucky said. “He’ll tweak my